In this article we will discuss about the tillage and seeding of maize crops.
Maize is predominantly a rainy season crop of India. A good seedbed for maize should be fine but compact. Land preparation begins with clearing residues of the previous crop. Soil is loosened to 20-25 cm depth by deep ploughing or disking, using either mechanical or draught power. In due course, two or three ploughings are given with wooden plough.
In case tractor is used, one ploughing followed by a couple of diskings is generally adequate. In black cotton soils, the soil is usually tilled with cultivator once followed by repeated harrowing with blade. For rainfed kharif maize, it is essential to provide minimum gradient to drain excess water especially on heavy soils. Alternately, shallow drains, which will not obstruct normal cultural operations may be provided at 50-100 cm apart across the slope and connected to main outlet.
Minimum tillage is more extensively followed in western countries. Wheel track planting is the most widely adopted practice. However, such minimum tillage has not been in use in India.
Time of Seeding:
In most parts of the country, maize during kharif is sown with the break of monsoon.
The actual dates very from region to region as indicated below:
North eastern hills – Early March
North western hills – April to early-May
Peninsular zone – Mid-May to mid-June
Punjab – Late-August under irrigation.
Sowing time for irrigated maize during rabi and summer depends on the crops in intensive cropping systems in different regions.
Sowing a week to ten days before usual date of break of monsoon, with initial one or two irrigations, provide a better chance for the stand establishment leading to yield increase by about 15-20 per cent.
In India, a number of workers reported optimum time for maize sowing in different areas. Jain (1973) reported optimum sowing time of maize in various tracts.
Kharif:
Rabi:
Optimum sowing time for rabi maize in different states is given below:
Summer:
Planting should be completed as for as possible before mid-January but not later than end of January to avoid the crop coming into flowering during hot months of March and April.
Method of Seeding and Seed Rate:
Rainfed maize is usually sown in rows with a spacing of 75 x 18 or 60 x 22 cm. Seeding in rows is, generally, with seed drill or by dropping the seed behind the plough. Optimum depth of seeding is 5-7 cm. Seed rate normally varies from 20-22 kg ha-1, depending on the variety and soil moisture availability during the crop growing period.
A plant population of 65,000 to 70,000 ha-1 is considered adequate. The practice of broadcasting for fodder maize is prevalent in several parts of the country, using a seed, rate around 40 kg ha-1.
Furrows, flat beds or border beds are prepared before seeding the maize under irrigated conditions. Since soil moisture is not a limiting factor, relatively higher plant population around 90,000 plants ha-1 with a spacing of 60 x 18 cm using a seed rate of 22 to 25 kg ha-1 is optimum.
In western countries, optimum plant population for irrigated hybrids is 5 plants m-2 under good management. When the yield levels are less than 10 t ha-1, different plant densities may not show much variation in grain yield.
When the ears are of average weight (250-270 g), it is an indication that a proper balance has been struck between plant densities and yield potential of the field. Heavier ears, generally, result from a too low population that is not capable of fully utilising the productive potential of the field, while smaller ears are a sign of excessive competition and reduced overall yield.
Lodging, generally, increase as plant population increases. Severity of smut will be greater at low than at high plant densities. On the other hand, maize borer infestation will be more severe at high plant densities.
Transplanted Maize:
Maize can be successfully cultivated by transplanting seedlings, especially in north-west and eastern plains regions of the country. This practice is suitable after the harvest of late planted rice for early harvest of crops like sugarcane or as a companion crop with autumn sugarcane. For transplanting in second week of January, nursery should be sown between 21 and 30 November.
For transplanting one ha of main field, 20 kg seed is to be sown in 0.1 ha with a row spacing of 20-22 cm. FYM (3.0 t ha-1) along with 7.5 N, 2.5 P2 O5, 3.0 K2O and 1.0 kg zinc sulphate should be applied to the nursery area before sowing. Seedlings can be transplanted in flat bed or ridges. Seedlings should be removed from nursery bed by edge tools. Uprooted seedlings should be kept under shade and transplanted as early as possible.
In flat beds, seedlings should be planted in furrows and their roots covered with soil manually. Transplanting on ridges gives higher yield than flat beds. First irrigation should be given immediately after transplantation and the second 8-10 days after transplantation.